Town Works to Get Large Blue Tourism Signs Removed in Orient

ORIENT, NY - Take 'em down.

That's the feeling of the Southold Town board about four large blue signs erected in Orient last week to promote tourism.

But the signs have sparked serious concerns among residents in the community.

The signs are part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's efforts to amp up a tourism marketing campaign. In November, Cuomo pledged $25 million of a $50 million campaign to be utilized for tourism marketing, featuring the I LOVE NY, Path Through History and Taste NY initiatives, Cuomo's website states.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said the four signs, located on New York State Route 25 in Orient, are all located within a short distance of one another.

The signs, he said, have been sited across the state but many municipalities, including Southold, never received any communication from the state that the signs were coming.

Russell said he even spoke to New York State Senator Ken Lavalle. "No one even told him," he said.

Efforts are underway now to get the signs removed, the supervisor said.

"I don't think they serve any purpose," he said, adding that the signage alerts people that they are in New York State, "after they just got off a ferry . . . in New York State. It seems pointless to me. I don't want to sound cynical but it sounds like some major donor owns a sign company."

Other towns, including East Hampton, are engaged in efforts to have the signs removed, Russell said.

The state's program, he added, is pricey; the signs are proliferating on the Long Island Expressway, and "they all say nothing. But the LIE doesn't come through Southold so it's not my concern."

The signs, he said, do not focus on Southold's unique features as a tourist destination or spotlight local businesses or attractions.

Southold Town Councilwoman Jill Doherty said if they said, "Welcome to Southold," it might be a different story.

And Councilman Jim Dinizio said there are already an abundance of signs in Southold.

Russell said the town is reaching out to the proper agencies to have them dismantled. "People in Southold don't need signs to tell them how great" the North Fork is, he said. "We have scenic vistas."

The new marketing campaign features TV ads and other media at airports, on roads, on railways, on the web and on mobile devices to promote tourism opportunities throughout New York State.

The signs in Orient are part of the state's "Path Through History" initiative, urging guests to "Explore New York History" and visit ILoveNY.com or utilize an app for information.

But residents agree with Russell that the signs, which were erected recently, won't do much to bolster the North Fork's efforts to preserve its rich and vibrant history.

Bob Hanlon, president of the Orient Association, said last week while he had not yet discussed the signs with the board — he just learned of the signs Thursday — he has concerns.

"The scenic appeal of Orient and all of Southold are very important to the community. And while we surely appreciate efforts to alert people to the benefits, wonders and opportunities in this community, those activities have to be sensible and proportionate."

In addition, Hanlon said any tourism bolstering efforts should be "especially sensitive" the North Fork's community character. "We have a community with more than 150 historic houses. This is a very rural area. Signs that scream 'commercial' are not something we have here. And those signs, in my personal opinion, are very much out of place."

The four signs, which Hanlon said were approximately 6 by 3.5 feet and 3 by 4 feet, are also "much larger than any sign anywhere in Southold."

In addition, Hanlon said he can't see that the signs serve any meaningful purpose. "They don't direct anyone to any particular place. They're self promotional in a way that doesn't seem to add anything for the people who are coming out here."

Hanlon said his goal is to find out how they came to be placed in Orient. "At first blush, they seem out of character with the general tone of the community and seem to be of little benefit," he said.

What's also troubling, Hanlon said, is that local elected officials were unaware of the signs being put up. "We have local officials who try hard to protect the character of the community, and in the case of something as big as this, with such visual impact, it seems as if the town should be put on notice. This is very troublesome."

Russell told Patch last week that no one had reached out to tell anyone on the town level that the signs were coming. "We weren't notified," he said.

Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski was similarly outraged. "The proliferation of road signs is a problem. One, it's aesthetic, and two it's a safety issue because you can't really safely navigate traffic, and attempt to read those signs. You can't do both safely."

Similar fury was sparked recently when blue billboard-sized "Welcome to New York" signs appeared in Montauk, causing a public outcry as residents demanded the "hideous" signs be taken down.

East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell agreed with his angry constituents: "Thruway-size billboard signs have no place in the community," he said.

Krupski said he's working with Russell and Cantwell, reaching out to New York State "to try and minimize some of those signs."

The Empire State Development Office, which helms the "I Love New York" campaign, responded with a statement: "The goal of the I Love NY road signs are to promote the state's world-renowned tourism attractions and to continue to invest in the success of every region. Tourism generated an economic impact of more than $100 billion across the state, supporting over 870,000 jobs and generating nearly $8 billion in state and local taxes in 2014. ESD will work with state and local officials to ensure any concerns they have are addressed."